Lavish linens: See how the finest Italian sheets stack up

Many travelers don't know their Mascioni from Anichini. You may not think sheet brands matter, but at the upper end of the luxury spectrum, the difference between, say, a 4-pearl (luxury), a 4.5-pearl (ultra-luxury) and a 5-pearl (insanely extravagant luxury) is largely in these kids of details.

So what makes some sheets better than others? Hotels love to brag about high thread count, but high thread count doesn't always equal high quality. Thread count does come in to play, but other factors like fiber quality, yarn size, and finishing matter just as much. With the luxury brands below, you can be sure that you'll get a decadent night's sleep on a high-quality weave.

The best sheets tend to come from Italy, so to help you distinguish these brands we associated each with an elite Italian sports car.

1.

Anichini

If these sheets were a sports car, they'd be: A Maserati -- grown-up luxury with a lot under the hood

What makes them special: One of the few companies to use top-of-the-line materials like voile, silk twill, and double weight sateen; specialty fabrics like Muga silks from Assam and Tibetan cashmere add a touch of the exotic

5.

Frette

If these sheets were a sports car, they'd be: A Ferrari -- also the most recognizable brand name in its category

What makes them special: Became Official Purveyors to the Italian Royal family in the late 1800s; has produced custom linens with family crests for over 500 aristocratic families; provided table linens for banqueting rooms on the Titanic